Video from the scene shows the scaffold dangling on the side of the building at a steep angle.

“This afternoon, there was an issue with a window washing rig,” a spokesman for the Time Warner Center said in a statement. “The maintenance company is on site working to recover the equipment, and there has been a reponse for numerous New York City agencies. Out of an abundance of caution, the western side of Columbus Circle has been closed until further notice. The Time Warner Center is still accessible through all other entrances, and building operations continue as normal.”